Cold Blood
by sofia313
Summary: "Do you know what I see when I look at you, darling? I see a survivor. I might own you, but I'm prepared to offer you a very generous deal. You see, what I need is a little distraction and lucky for me, you have the perfect face for that."
1. Always look at the bright side

**This is a short story I wrote a while ago, I wasn't sure if I was going to publish it. I've written most of the chapters already; let me know if you're interested in reading more. Please notice the M rating.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **Always look at the bright side**

New York, 1914

Many years ago, when I had been a little girl, my mother had told me that I needed to be good and obedient; otherwise I would end up in Hell. I had been filthy ever since I had been born, so I might end up there either way. The stories she had told me about hellfire and endless torture had really frightened me and I had always tried my best to be good. Yes, I had tried, but clearly not hard enough. Only my mother was wrong about many things. Hell was right here on Earth and it was worse than anything she had told me. I had thought that ending up on the streets, starving and cold had been the worse thing that could happen to me, but I had definitely been wrong. That was my motto these days, no matter how bad things were, they could _always_ be worse. Much worse.

Yes, I had slaved the whole damn day and I was so exhausted that I could barely stand, but the bright side was that "his majesty" hadn't fed on me for a while. He got bored with his slaves quickly, he always wanted new flavors. Fortunately for me, my blood apparently didn't taste too good, he hadn't drained me. At least not yet. My best chance of surviving, as I had for few years now, was to be as hardworking domestic slave as I could, I really didn't have much more to offer. Fortunately he didn't find me attractive enough to use my body. He said that I was too bony and short; my body wasn't like a real woman's. Again, fortunately for me. Starving on the streets has had its perks after all. Yep, everything was looking just great for me.

Maybe the slaves who managed to please him in bed didn't have to work so much, but I definitely preferred the work. I would have rather stabbed myself than allowed the bastard to touch me. The king of New York… Right, more like the king of sadistic assholes. Of course I was afraid of him, I wasn't an idiot, and I valued my life enough to crawl in front of him whenever I had to. Fortunately I had finished my chores for the day and it was finally suppertime. My stomach was growling, as usually. Only his favorite slaves got enough to eat. Silently I headed towards the kitchen, but unfortunately one of his vampire lackeys called Norman stopped me.

"You, girl!" he snapped. "Come with me."

I knew better than to argue, I followed him obediently.

"Your master has a very special guest," Norman stated when we walked across the long hallway towards "the king's" study. "A very old and powerful vampire. You will please him however he wants, if he chooses you."

I swallowed, but I managed to control myself pretty well. To my surprise I saw some of "his majesty's" favorite slaves heading towards the study. He usually never offered them to anyone, so this guest must be very special. I had done this many times before, all I had to do was stand in line with the others and keep my head down while the guest took his or hers pick. That was usually a death sentence to a slave, we were basically offered as a welcome drink. One of the new girls called Ruth was shaking; she was on the brink of tears. That wasn't good at all; the king didn't tolerate any "useless whining" as he called it.

"Hey," I whispered and touched Ruth's shoulder before we reached the door. "You need to calm down, okay? Whatever you do, don't cry."

She looked at me with her fearful eyes and I had a nasty feeling that she wouldn't last for long in this house. Hopefully I was wrong; hopefully she would find the strength to adapt. I tried my best to give her a reassuring smile in case that would help her at all. Usually I tried not to get too attached to the other slaves, any of us could be dead in any moment, but that didn't mean we should stop acting like human beings. Compassion was one of the things that separated us from these monsters and I was going to hold on to it. Silently we entered the study, like lambs going to the slaughter. "His majesty" seemed to be in an excellent mood, he was just laughing at something his guest had said.

"Kol Mikaelson," he chuckled. "I must say that you haven't changed at all."

"I can say the same to you, Russell," his guest stated, he had a British accent. They were both sitting on the armchairs having a glass of scotch; Norman motioned me and the other slaves to move next to the wall. I stood next to Ruth and touched her hand as unnoticeably as I could. Hopefully she could control herself.

"Right then," the king stated and stood up. "Allow me to offer you a real drink."

I kept my eyes on the floor when he told his guest to pick anyone he wanted.

"No…" Ruth muttered, she was shaking violently. "No…"

Silently I begged that she would stop, but it was already too late. She burst into tears and ran hysterically towards the door. The sound of Norman snapping her neck made me to close my eyes.

"I apologize for that," the king stated. "I can assure you that the rest of them know how to behave."

"You don't compel them?" his guest asked.

"Only to stay in this house. I believe in training, as simpleminded creatures as they are."

I struggled to keep my head down; he was nothing but a disgusting beast. Poor Ruth…

"So, seeing anyone you like?"

"Maybe."

I had been so distracted that I hadn't noticed the king's guest stopping in front of me. Oh no…

"Look up, darling," he ordered. "I want to see your face."

Right then, this was it. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad and… Who was I kidding, this would hurt like hell. Well, maybe I would be lucky and he would just drain me, not rape or torture me first. Yes, one should always look at the bright side of things. Slowly I looked up and tried to brace myself, I wasn't going to cry or beg. His dark eyes were observing me intently; he was a tall man in his early twenties. Or at least that was how he looked, I had no idea how old he really was.

"Well, well," he muttered, his lips curved into a smirk. "I'll be damned…"

"You like that one?" the king asked.

"You could say that," his guest replied and turned to look at him. "I want to buy her."

My eyes widened and I barely managed to suppress a gasp.

"You want to buy her?" the king repeated. "I have better ones…"

"No, I want her. How much?"

The king seemed amused.

"For you, nothing. A modest gift for my old friend."

"Wonderful." He paused and glanced at Norman. "Get her ready, I'm taking her with me when I leave."


	2. Wishful thinking

**Thank you for the reviews, favs and alerts. I'll try my best to edit at least 1 chapter per week, right now they're a mess and I'm struggling with the ending.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 **Wishful thinking**

"I must say that I'm impressed, darling," my new master said while closing the door to his hotel suite. "No cries for help, no running…"

"I know better, master," I muttered.

I really did, I was more than aware of the fact that I couldn't outrun him and crying for help would have been completely useless. The only outcome would have been the death of me and everyone who would have tried to help me. Still I couldn't deny that I had really wanted to do something when we had walked across the hotel lobby. Seeing people talking, laughing and doing normal things had felt really strange. I had been in the king's mansion for so long that I had almost forgotten that there was something else outside, something safe and normal. I couldn't remember the last time I would have laughed. Yet I had somehow adapted, got used to the fear and the daily routines. Now I had no idea what to expect and it really scared me.

Somehow I doubted that my new master wanted a domestic slave, especially if he was living in a hotel. I needed to be prepared for the worst; maybe then I could be pleasantly surprised if things wouldn't turn out so bad. Of course they wouldn't, he just wanted to have a nice conversation with me. Well, at least he hadn't drained me right away. No, he probably wanted to do some nasty things first. Or not. Stop lying to yourself. Why, was it a crime to have just a little hope? Yes, it was when that hope was false. Oh yeah? Yeah. Fine, no hope then, I would die a horrible death. Happy now? Oh lord, was I really arguing with myself? That probably happened sooner or later when there was no one else to argue with. I hadn't really been allowed to communicate with the other slaves and I certainly hadn't wanted to communicate with my jailors. Not that they would have wanted to hear anything I had to say anyway.

"Come on," my new master said and motioned me to follow him to the living room.

Okay, I could do this. Not that I had a choice.

"Take a seat," he continued smiling.

I took a quick look around, trying to interpret where he wanted me to sit. There was a sofa and three armchairs, but the floor would probably be the safest option…

"It's alright," he said and waved his hand towards the sofa. "Go ahead."

I hesitated for a brief moment before obeying. He sat down on the armchair opposite me, I kept my head down.

"What's your name, darling?" he asked, his voice sounded very soft, almost…friendly?

"Sadie," I muttered.

"Sadie? That's a pretty name. I'm Kol."

I had no idea what he wanted me to say, but I didn't have time to think about that for long when I heard a knock.

"Wait here," he said and stood up.

I was very nervous, but I managed to control myself. It didn't take long when he returned with a serving cart.

"Here's some dinner for you," he said. "I thought you must be hungry."

"Thank you, master," I muttered; I still kept my head down.

He pushed the cart in front of me and told me to go ahead. I waited few seconds before carefully lifting the silver cloches. My eyes widened when I saw the food; salmon, smashed potato, stuffed mushrooms, fresh fruit salad, sandwiches, lemon cakes, lemonade, a cup of tea… My stomach was growling when I looked at all that food, but I was too cautious to touch it. Maybe this was some kind of cruel joke; the king's lackeys had enjoyed those.

"Go ahead," he said again. "Eat."

Cautiously I looked up, he was smiling at me.

"I can tell that you're hungry, darling. If you don't like the food, I can…"

"No, no," I cut in quickly. "I mean… Thank you, master, thank you."

A joke or not, not I really needed to eat. My hands were shaking when I picked up the fork. He didn't say anything or take the food away like I had suspected, he simply observed me. I closed my eyes while taking the first bite; nothing had ever tasted so good. Still I couldn't bring myself to enjoy it; I ate as quickly as I could in case he would order me to stop. He didn't, he just smiled when I licked the plate.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yes, master," I muttered. "Thank you."

"The bathroom is there if you want to wash up."

I glanced at the empty plates.

"I… Shall I wash the dishes first?"

"No need, darling, the hotel has staff for that."

"Alright…"

I stood up and headed to the bathroom. It was just as luxurious as the ones I had cleaned in the king's mansion, I was almost afraid to touch anything. Wash up… He hadn't told me to hurry up, but I assumed that was obvious. I wasn't very dirty; at least I didn't think so. Maybe the king didn't care if his slaves were hungry, but he insisted that we needed to be clean. I tried to concentrate on my current task, but I was very nervous. What would happen now? Some part of my mind knew that, or at least had a good guess, but I didn't want to think about that, not before I would have to. I was so very tired; I felt that I could barely stand. For a moment I allowed myself to close my eyes and imagine that I was in some nice place. Maybe I had never actually been in a very nice place, but surely such places existed. A place where I would be safe, a home. Wishful thinking. I kept my head down when I went back to the living room.

"It looks to me that you could use some rest," my master stated and stood up. "Come with me."

He led me to a closed door and opened it.

"You can sleep here."

"Thank you, master."

I was confused; did he really mean that I could go to sleep?

"Make yourself comfortable, I need to take care of something," he stated and walked out. Finally I dared to look up; the large bedroom was very nice. My eyes scanned the room quickly, hoping to see a pillow or a blanket on the floor for me. There wasn't anything, just the hard floor. It didn't matter; I was so tired that I just wanted to sleep. I went next to the wall and curled up on the floor with my back to the room. I was almost asleep when my master returned.

"Oh darling," he chuckled. "I meant that you can sleep in the bed."

I startled when he was suddenly next to me and scooped me up into his arms. I barely managed to stop myself from panicking when I was pressed against his muscular chest, I felt completely helpless.

"Oh dear," he hummed. "You barely weight anything. We'll have to fix that now, won't we? Among few other things. I'll make you shine like a crude little diamond you are."

I tried to understand what he was saying when he carried me to the bed and pulled the bronze cover down. I winced when my back touched the mattress; I had never slept in a bed.

"There," he hummed smiling and placed a blanket over me. "Isn't this better?"

"Yes, master," I replied in a small voice, I was still trying to get used to lying on something so soft. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, darling," he said and headed to the door. "Sweet dreams."


	3. The deal

**Chapter 3**

 **The deal**

I was floating, touching the soft fluffy clouds. Everything was perfect, I felt safe and happy. I wasn't hungry or hurting, my cot felt strangely soft. Slowly I opened my eyes and sighed blissfully, but that sigh turned into a gasp when I noticed my surroundings. Why was I in a bed…? Oh right, the king had given me to his friend. The next thing I noticed was how bright it was, the sun was already high in the sky. Oh no… I tried to stop myself from panicking and got to my feet as quickly as I could. How long had I slept? It must be almost midday already. No, no, no… Why hadn't anyone woken me up? Had this been a test? I had certainly failed. I tried my best to calm down and took a deep breath before heading to the door. It wasn't locked. Cautiously I opened it and stepped out into the hallway.

"Sadie?" my master's voice called from the living room. "Come and join me, darling."

I swallowed and went to the living room as quickly as I could. He was sitting on one of the armchairs having a drink, he looked completely relaxed.

"Good morning," he said smiling. "Did you sleep well?"

"I… I'm sorry, master," I muttered. "I didn't mean to sleep so long…"

"Don't be silly," he hummed. "Clearly you needed to rest." He paused and motioned me to come closer. There was a serving cart in front of the sofa again.

"Come, have some breakfast."

I was very confused, I couldn't understand his behavior. Something told me that it was an act, maybe some kind of game. Or a test. It didn't matter; I had no choice but to obey. Obedience and the ability to adapt that kept me alive so far. If one could call my life living. Fear was the first feeling I remembered experiencing when I had been a child; I hadn't been exactly a wanted child. According to my mother, I had ruined her life and she never forgave me for that. She has had a good job as a maid, but then I had dared to come along.

She hadn't been married, I had no idea who my father was, but naturally her employer had fired her after she had become pregnant. Well, the bright side was that at least she hadn't killed me after I had been born. But to be realistic, I probably wouldn't have survived for long if we wouldn't have lived with few other unfortunate young women. They hadn't been very fond of me and my screaming, but they hadn't let me starve to death. There was some kindness in this world. My mouth watered when I saw the breakfast, eggs, bread, cheese, fruits and a glass of orange juice. My master was quiet when I ate, but I felt his eyes on me.

"You start to look healthier already, darling," he stated after I was finished. "We still have a lot of work to do though."

I hesitated for a moment before looking up, he still have the same friendly smile on his face.

"May I ask about my duties, master?" I asked quietly, keeping my tone as humble as I could. The king had killed some slaves just for not sounding submissive enough. Was it humiliating, probably, but dignity was a luxury I had never could afford anyway.

"Is…is there a schedule I need to follow?"

He was quiet for a brief moment before replying.

"Tell me, darling, how long were you in Russell's house?"

"I…I'm not sure, master. Many years."

"Really? Where did you live before that?"

"On the streets."

He raised an eyebrow.

"A tiny thing like you? How did you survive?"

"I ate what I could find," I muttered. "And I begged for pennies. Some people were kind enough to take pity on me."

"What about your family?" he asked. "Are you an orphan?"

I shook my head.

"My mother…she had a chance for a better life and… I wasn't a part of that life. I've never met my father."

I couldn't understand why he was asking these questions, no one else ever had, but I answered truthfully; I had no reason to lie. Besides, lying could get me killed or cost me my tongue.

"Poor thing," he hummed. "Your life hasn't been easy, has it?" He paused for a moment before continuing. "But do you know what I see when I look at you, darling? I see a survivor, a strong young woman. And I bet you have some dreams, don't you? Tell me about them."

I was more than confused; I had no idea what he wanted me to say.

"Go ahead," he continued smiling. "Tell me, what is your dream?"

"Home," I blurted out.

"Ah. That's a nice dream. What would you be willing to do to have it?"

I couldn't help but shiver, I didn't like where this was going.

"It's just a useless dream, master," I muttered. "I don't expect it to…"

"Oh, but it can come true. I might own you, but I'm prepared to offer you a very generous deal. You see, what I need is a little distraction and lucky for me, you have the perfect face for that."

"I… Forgive me, master, but I don't understand."

He smiled and leaned back on his seat.

"I know, darling, but no need to worry, I will explain everything. The most important thing you need to know is that if you do what I ask, I will give you your freedom and make you a very wealthy young woman. You can buy yourself a home."

I stared at him disbelievingly, he couldn't be serious.

"Yes, I know what you must be thinking," he continued. "I could make you do whatever I want, I don't really need your consent, but I want to have it."

"Why?" I blurted out.

"Well… Let's just say that I'm not completely heartless." He paused and took a sip out of his glass. "Tell me, have you ever been with a man?"

I flinched and bowed my head.

"No, master."

"Hmm, I suspected that much. Anyway, no need to look so frightened, I have no intention to force myself on you. What I want to know is would losing your virtue be worth of having everything you've dreamt of?"

I tried desperately to understand what he was saying.

"You mean… You are offering me money in exchange for…"

"Yes, but not with me."

I swallowed; he was going to give me to someone else.

"I want you to come to New Orleans with me and meet my brother. I have a feeling that he will really like you."

"Please…" I muttered quietly, trying to hide my desperation. "I… I will do anything, please be merciful…"

"Hey," he said and leaned towards me. "It's alright, darling, you misunderstood me. I have no intention to simply give you to him. He wouldn't touch you against your will."

I struggled to pull myself together, I definitely couldn't cry.

"You want me to be willing," I managed to say.

"Yes," he replied simply. "But, as I said, I'm offering you a deal in exchange for your cooperation. Keep my brother occupied and you'll have everything you want. I can promise that he will treat you well."

"Why?" I asked before I managed to stop myself.

My master smiled.

"Because of that pretty face of yours, darling. You look a lot like someone he used to care about."

"Oh," I muttered.

"Yes. So, do we have a deal?"

I wanted to ask what would happen if I would refuse, but something told me that would have been extremely stupid. He had been nothing but kind and polite until now, but I was pretty sure he wouldn't be if he wouldn't get the answer he wanted. There was absolutely no guarantee that he would keep his end of the bargain, he probably wouldn't, but really, what choice did I have?

"Yes," I heard myself saying.

His smile grew wider.

"Very good. Let's get started then, we have a lot of work to do."


	4. Honey, I'm home!

**Chapter 4**

 **Honey, I'm home!**

New Orleans, 2 months later

"Leave us," Kol said to the driver who had just stopped the automobile in front of a huge house.

"Yes, sir," the driver replied and went outside.

He was a human; at least I thought that he was.

"Now, let's take a look at you, darling," Kol continued and observed me intently.

I was wearing a simple but pretty creamy dress and a matching hat, my hair was up in a stylish bun. I had pearls around my neck and pearl earrings. The only make-up I had on was red lipstick, according to Kol; his brother didn't like too much make-up.

"You look very nice," he stated. "Are we ready?"

"Yes, master Kol…I mean, mister Kol," I corrected; I needed to remember how to address him when we were here. I really didn't feel ready, but it didn't matter.

"Good." He paused and touched my shoulder. His touch didn't make me flinch anymore, not after all the practicing. He wanted me to be convincing, his brother couldn't think that I was afraid of him. I was afraid, very much so, but I needed to hide it. In the end things could be much worse. Yes, maybe I was selling my body, but was that really so bad if I could have a nicer life for myself. A small cozy place, warm and clean. The thought gave me strength, I could do this. If things would go bad, at least I have had many good meals, Kol had made sure that I ate properly every day, and I had slept in a real bed. Not to mention he had given me nice clothes and other things.

The training had been hard and I had struggled to learn everything he wanted me to learn, no matter how difficult it had been. He had seemed frustrated few times, but he hadn't raised his voice or laid a hand on me, not once. I was grateful for that and few times we had almost had fun, I had even laughed. He had a peculiar sense of humor, but I still had a good sense to stay cautious, he had made it very clear that failure wasn't an option. Despite of all that, Kol wasn't nearly as bad as "his majesty", not to me anyway. He could be nice and act like a gentleman, but I had learned to know him enough to know that I wouldn't have wanted to be on his bad side.

"I know you can do this, darling," he continued smiling. "I have faith in you."

"Thank you," I muttered.

"Alright, let's go then."

He opened the door for me and politely offered me his hand. I took it and tried my best to look dignified when I stepped outside, just like he had taught.

"Thank you, Mr. Mikaelson," I stated.

He seemed amused.

"You're welcome, Miss Topolsky."

I felt more and more nervous when he opened the gate and we walked across a nice courtyard. Despite of weeks of practicing, I felt very out of place. Kol hadn't told me much about his brother, only few basic things. I had no idea what he looked like, I hadn't asked. It really didn't matter.

"Well, well," a male voice suddenly said, he was just coming down the stairs. "Look who's back."

"Hello, Marcellus," Kol replied. He was smiling, but his tone and body language told me that he wasn't very fond of this man, whoever he was. Reading people was something I was pretty good at, at least sometimes. It had helped me a lot when I had lived on the streets, I had been able to tell who I should ask for a penny and who I should avoid if I didn't want a kick or a spit on the face.

"How was your trip?" this man called Marcellus asked, it wasn't difficult to tell that he wasn't very fond of Kol either.

"Not too bad."

Marcellus glanced at me, he was clearly amused. I suppressed my need to bow my head, like I had got used to doing, instead I met the man's gaze and smiled politely.

"I can see that," he stated. "A little souvenir?"

"Hardly," Kol replied coolly. "The lady's name is Miss Topolsky; she's here to apply a job."

"Really? What kind of job would that be?"

"I hardly think that's any of your business. Excuse us."

"It was nice to meet you, sir," I said while passing him.

"He's my brother's protégé I told you about," Kol whispered when we were inside. "Just ignore him; he has always been annoying and arrogant."

"Oh."

I wondered why they so clearly disliked each other, but it wasn't any of my business.

"Wait here," he said and marched across the hallway. "Honey, I'm home!" I heard him announcing while entering to some room.

"Kol," a male voice replied. "How was New York?"

"Same old, same old."

"Hmm. Did you have a good time?"

"I always do. And… I brought a little surprise for you, Nik."

I swallowed, this was it.

"What surpri…"

"Miss Topolsky!"

Breathe, just breathe. I kept my head high and walked towards the room where Kol had gone. It seemed to be a living room, a very large living room. I stepped inside and saw Kol standing next to a man who had curled dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. His eyes widened and he gasped in shock when he saw me. He also dropped the glass he was holding, but Kol caught it before it hit the floor.

"Careful, Nik," he said grinning, but the other man didn't seem to hear him, he was staring at me. His mouth floundered open and closed, but he didn't get a word out.

"Hello," I greeted him smiling.

"Miss Topolsky, this is my brother, Niklaus Mikaelson, Nik, this lovely young lady is Sadie Topolsky," Kol introduced us. "We met in New York and it turned out that she was looking for a job. I thought that she would be perfect for the position we have open."

"What?" his brother muttered and cleared his throat.

"She has worked as a private nurse for few elderly ladies, she has excellent recommendations. Since you have had problems with your back and you talked about hiring a nurse…"

I kept smiling and waited until Kol's brother comprehended his words.

"Yes…yes, that's right." He paused and walked over to me, his eyes scanned me from head to toes. Slowly his lips curved into a charming smile. "It's truly a pleasure to meet you, Miss Topolsky," he said and took my hand. Instead of shaking it, he touched it softly with his lips. I didn't startle, thanks to my training.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Mikaelson. If you want to see my recommendation letters…"

"I don't think that will be necessary. The job is yours if you want it."

I smiled even wider, although I felt stupid.

"Really? Thank you."

Only an idiot wouldn't have noticed that he obviously wanted much more than a nurse, he was looking at me like I would have been a gourmet dinner. That would have definitely made me nervous if Kol wouldn't have assured me that my blood would be the last thing his brother would want. No, he just wanted my body. For a very brief moment I allowed myself to imagine what his touch would feel like. He was a handsome man, but that didn't mean he would be kind or even nonviolent. "His majesty" was a handsome man too, I couldn't deny that, but he was also a sadistic bastard. I could only hope that Kol's brother wouldn't be.


	5. The other brother

**Chapter 5**

 **The other brother**

I lifted my bag on the bed and looked around in a small bedroom. It looked very nice; white lace counterpane covered the bed, there were white curtains at the small window, a bedside table, a small dresser, a closet and a rocking chair. Floral wallpaper gave the room some color and the big rug made it cozier. This was certainly a place I would have loved to call home. I could pick up some fresh flowers on the bedside table and maybe crochet a little tablecloth… Wait, what was I doing? Snap out of it. I wasn't here to build myself some kind of nest, no, I had work to do.

My "patient" was expecting me for an afternoon tea, so I needed to hurry up and get ready. The bright side was that he hadn't seemed so bad, at least not right away. Of course he hadn't, but that didn't mean anything. Maybe there was a small chance that he was a nice person… What was I, an idiot? Shut up, there was nothing wrong with just a little positive thinking. Sure there wasn't, it suited for a pathetic idiot. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, I needed to concentrate.

Quickly I unpacked and placed all the nice clothes Kol had bought me neatly into the closet. The day had been long and I needed to look my best, so I changed my clothes. The powder blue dress looked nice; I left my hair up in a bun and added just a little lipstick. Doing something with my hair and putting on make-up had been a completely new experience for me; Kol had arranged a very beautiful woman to teach me all the "feminine things". I was pretty sure that she had been a prostitute, but that didn't bother me. Maybe she hadn't been very nice, but I would have been more than a hypocrite if her occupation would have bothered me.

Okay, I was as ready as I was ever going to be. Determinedly I opened the door and marched towards the living room. I was concentrated on silently rehearsing everything I needed to remember when someone suddenly grabbed me and pinned me roughly against the wall. I didn't startle as much as I should have, for a brief moment I thought that I was in "his majesty's" house and one of his lackeys wanted to toy with me. Many of them had fed on me; they had been allowed to do that as long as I would stay alive. I had learned not to make a sound; it made things a lot easier. Except that I wasn't in the king's house now… I swallowed when I met the gaze of a man whose dark brown eyes were flaming in rage. He was much taller than me, his body kept me trapped against the wall.

"You…" he snarled.

"I-I'm not trespassing, sir," I managed to say. "I work here, Niklaus Mikaelson hired me."

He stared at me intently; I could see all kinds of feelings in his eyes. Confusion, disbelief, anger… I couldn't help but flinch when he leaned closer, his face was only inches away from mine. All my instincts told me to bow my head, but I didn't, I looked into his eyes, struggling to stay calm.

"What…" he muttered. "Who are you?"

"My-my name is Sadie Topolsky," I stuttered. "I…I'm a nurse. Mr. Mikaelson hired me."

He didn't reply to that; he simply kept staring at me.

"Are you…alright, sir?" I managed to ask.

He didn't seem alright, but he took a step back and cleared his throat.

"I… I apologize for scaring you, miss," he muttered. "I hope I didn't hurt you."

"No, you didn't," I assured, although he had hurt me a little. It made no difference; I've been through much worse.

"I really am sorry; I can assure you that I don't usually… I thought that you are…someone else."

"Oh. That's alright."

"No," he muttered tensely. "I had no right to act like that. I can usually control myself better."

He seemed to be talking more to himself than to me, he looked very distressed. Obviously he had thought that I was the person Kol's brother had cared about. I didn't know anything about her; Kol had only mentioned that she had been important to his brother. I forced myself to remember my role and placed a smile on my face.

"It's alright, sir," I said, trying my best to sound calming.

He clenched his fists before looking up; I suppressed my urge to back away.

"You said that my brother hired you," he said tensely.

I realized immediately who he was, Kol's other brother. He wasn't exactly how Kol had described him.

"Oh, you're Mr. Mikaelson's brother."

Judging by his expression, he hadn't realized that he hadn't introduced himself.

"Forgive me," he stated and held out his hand. "I'm Elijah Mikaelson."

I kept the smile on my face while shaking his hand.

"It's nice to meet you."

His grip was tight and for a moment I thought that he wasn't going to let go at all. Finally he did, I could easily see how tense he was.

"How did you end up here, Miss Topolsky?" he asked.

"Oh, I met your brother, Mr. Kol, in New York and he told me that Mr. Niklaus is looking for a nurse. I on the other hand was looking for a job, so… Here I am."

"Kol?" he muttered.

"Yes, he was kind enough to accompany me here; I wouldn't have traveled so far by myself. I've dreamt of traveling for a long time."

I had practiced my answers to all these questions for so many times that I really didn't have to think about them. Nurse Sadie had lived a nice safe life, at least comparing to my real life. I had to say that I envied her.

"I just finished unpacking and I'm actually on my way to meet Mr. Niklaus," I continued. "He invited me to join him for a cup of tea."

"I see," he muttered.

It was very clear that he hadn't liked the person I looked like, hopefully that wouldn't be a problem. A little heads up would have been nice, but Kol hadn't said anything.

"How about you, Mr. Mikaelson? Would you like to join us?"

"No, thank you," he replied, he sounded calmer now. "I have some things to do, but it was nice to meet you, Miss Topolsky. Excuse me."

I didn't have time to say anything when he turned around and marched away. Right then… I gave myself a moment to calm down before heading to the living room. Niklaus Mikaelson wasn't there. That was strange, had I somehow misunderstood him? I waited for a while, but there was no sight of him. What was I supposed to do now? Finally I decided to go back to my room; I could definitely lie down for a moment, the day had been long. On my way I passed a door that was slightly open and heard Elijah Mikaelson's voice, he sounded angry.

"What's the matter with you?" he snapped.

"Oh, come on," Kol's voice huffed. "I just wanted to give Nik a little gift…"

"A gift? You know damn well how much damage Niklaus' obsession over that woman caused!"

"You're exaggerating…"

"No, I'm not! She can't stay here."

"Really? Well, by all means, tell Nik to throw her out."

"I'm warning you, Kol…"

"There's just no way of pleasing you, is there, brother?" Kol snorted. "For once I tried to do something nice for Nik and this is the thanks I get."

"She's not staying in this house," Elijah replied icily. "Nothing good will come out of it, we both know that."

"She's nothing like _her_ , she's innocent…"

"It doesn't matter. I won't let it happen again, I promise you."

I swallowed and tiptoed across the hallway as silently as I could. That hadn't sounded good at all. What kind of mess was I in?


	6. Problem spots

**Thank you for the reviews, favs and alerts. No, Sadie doesn't look like Tatia/Katherine and she's not a Petrova. There's a picture of her on the story cover.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 **Problem spots**

I was confused and worried when I walked towards my room; I really wanted to talk to Kol. What for, clearly he hadn't wanted to tell me nearly everything. The most pathetic thing was that some very tiny part of me felt hurt, it had thought that we were sort of friends. Dear lord, that really was pathetic. He wasn't my friend any more than the king or his lackeys had been, even if he had treated me better than they had. Yes, I kind of felt that I owed him, but that didn't make us in any way friends.

Oh, poor little girl thought that the big bad vampire would deep down care about her… Shut up, I never thought that. Really? Yes, really. Oh come on, no need to be shy, surely all of this was just some funny joke and he was actually planning to buy me a mansion where I would live happily ever after… Just shut up already. I was so tired; I really needed to lie down… Unfortunately I didn't have time to reach my room when Niklaus Mikaelson appeared in front of me.

"Miss Topolsky," he said smiling charmingly. "Please forgive me for keeping you waiting; I needed to take care of an urgent matter."

Effortlessly I placed a smile on my face; I had practiced it so much that it came natural to me.

"Oh, that's alright, Mr. Mikaelson. I hope it wasn't anything serious?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle," he replied. "Perhaps you would like to join me to my room? We can have the tea there and get acquainted with one another."

"Of course," I said automatically. I forced myself to hide my nervousness; surely he wouldn't just jump on me, at least not this soon. Right? What if he would? Was I supposed to give in right away? Kol had assured me that his brother wouldn't treat me badly, but could I really believe anything he had said? Not that it made much difference, I had no place to run or hide.

"This way," he said politely.

I kept the smile on my face when I followed him to his bedroom. It was a very large and luxurious bedroom, but the first thing I noticed was the paintings on the walls. I walked over to one of the paintings and heard him closing the door behind him.

"These are beautiful," I said while observing the artwork. It was scenery, mountains and a river.

"Thank you," he replied. "Painting relaxes me."

I turned to look at him.

"You have painted these?"

"Yes."

"You are very talented."

I really meant that, I would have loved to have one of these paintings in my room.

"Thank you," he said and waved his hand towards the small table. "Please."

I thanked him when he pulled out a chair for me and helped me to take a seat. The table had been set; there was a porcelain teapot, two cups, plates, napkins, milk, sugar, biscuits and sandwiches.

"I wasn't sure if you are hungry," he explained while sitting opposite me.

"That was very considerate of you, thank you, Mr. Mikaelson."

I poured some tea for us both, making sure that my every move was graceful, just like Kol had taught. He have had to work a lot when he had taught me table manners, I hadn't known anything about them. I was pretty sure that he had been ready to give up more than once, although I had tried my hardest to learn.

"So," I started. "May I ask what exactly is wrong with your back?"

"The muscles," he replied. "Sometimes I have problems to simply get out of bed."

"I see." I paused and took a sip out of my cup. "I believe I can help you, many of my patients have had similar problems. The thing is that I have only worked for elderly ladies before and to them I was a companion just as much as a nurse. You know, I took care of everyday things for them and ran the household."

He observed me for a moment before speaking.

"You seem quite young for so experienced nurse, if you don't mind me saying so."

"No, not at all," I replied quickly. "My mother started training me when I was 14; she was a nurse as well."

"Was?"

"Yes, she…she has passed away."

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you," I muttered.

The truth was that I had no idea if my mother was dead or alive and I really didn't care. Why would I after she had abandoned me on the streets. At least she had taught me a very valuable lesson; I couldn't count on anyone except myself.

"I would imagine that you don't need my assistance the whole time, so is there something else you would like me to do?" I continued.

"No," he replied. "I want you to be comfortable here; of course you need enough free time. If I understood correctly, you haven't been in New Orleans before?"

I shook my head.

"No, I have never traveled."

"Then you must allow me to help you to get to know the city."

"Thank you, that's very kind of you."

He had the charming smile on his face, but the look in his eyes was making me nervous. It was more than clear what he wanted. I finished my tea and ate a sandwich, I was a little hungry. He settled for just the tea, his eyes were on me the whole time. He certainly wasn't easy to read, but it seemed that few times he was looking at me almost…what, adoringly, lovingly? I really wasn't sure; no one had ever looked at me like that.

"May I take a look at your back?" I asked after we were both finished.

For a moment he seemed surprised, but definitely not unpleasantly. I really doubted that this was a good idea, but I needed to play my part.

"Yes, of course," he replied and stood up. "Where do you want me?"

Okay, remember all the training…

"Perhaps you could lie down on the bed? And I need you to take your shirt off."

I was amazed by my own professional tone, I didn't sound nervous at all. He certainly didn't have any rejections; it wasn't difficult to see what he was thinking.

"Of course."

He took his shirt off without hesitation; clearly he had no problem showing off his flawless upper body. The only shirtless man I had seen before had been Kol; we had practiced this part as well. I kept the polite smile on my face when I asked my "patient" to lie down on his stomach.

"Please be gentle," he asked innocently before lying down.

"Of course, Mr. Mikaelson."

I leaned towards him and hesitated for a brief moment before softly touching his back. The woman who had taught me how to do feminine things had also taught me how to give a perfect massage. Kol had been more than willing to let me practice with him and he had said that I was a natural.

"Right now I will just locate your problem spots," I explained calmly and continued pressing his back. "When I start the actual treatment, I need to use some oil. Please let me know immediately if you feel in any way uncomfortable."

"Hmm," he muttered, I was pretty sure that he was everything but uncomfortable.

His muscles did feel tense, but I managed to make him relax a bit.

"How does this feel, Mr. Mikaelson?" I asked softly.

"Amazing," he murmured.

"That's good. I hope my hands don't feel cold…"

"No, not at all."

He sighed when I continued, he felt perfectly relaxed now.

"Here we are," I said when I was finished. "I can certainly see why you need me."

Slowly he got up and looked at me, his lips curved into a smirk.

"Yes, I do. You have no idea how badly.


	7. Sleepless night

**Chapter 7**

 **Sleepless night**

So tired… My head barely touched the pillow when I was almost asleep. The day had been more than stressing, all I wanted was to sleep and forget everything for a short blessed moment. My bed felt very nice, more comfortable than the bed in the train. The journey from New York to New Orleans had been long, but I had needed every moment to study. There had been so many things to learn and despite of what I thought of Kol now, he was a good teacher and he was usually fun company. Everything had seemed clear enough, although the whole deal hadn't been exactly what I had wanted, but now I didn't know what I was dealing with. Niklaus Mikaelson had been nothing but kind to me and I should be grateful for that, but… I was scared, there was no point denying it.

What Elijah Mikaelson had said really bothered me. What kind of obsession had he been talking about and why hadn't Kol said anything to me about it? Because I was nothing more than his human slave, why should he tell me little details like that? He hadn't even told me why he wanted me to "keep his brother occupied", as he had put it. He certainly had a strange relationship with his family. I sighed and allowed my body to relax; I really needed to get some rest… In my dream I felt someone touching my hair and caressing my cheek.

"You're mine," a voice whispered in my ear. "I'll never let you go again…"

My eyes flew open and I gasped for air. The room was dark; quickly I got into a sitting position, turned the small light on and looked around. There was no one here, I was alone. The closet door was slightly open. I swallowed, I was almost sure that I had closed it.

"Hello?" I forced myself to say. "Is someone here?"

I stood up and walked over to the closet. Obviously no one was hiding in there, I felt completely ridiculous. I was becoming paranoid.

"Idiot…" I muttered and huffed at my own stupidity. I went back to bed and fell asleep almost immediately. Unfortunately I didn't have time to sleep for long when a hand covered my mouth and I felt someone on top of me.

"It's just me," Kol's voice whispered before I panicked. My heart was still pounding when he removed his hand. I was exhausted and I couldn't see his face in the dark, but I felt his body against mine. Thankfully he wasn't crushing me under him.

"Talk to me, darling," he demanded, his voice was still a whisper.

"I'm very tired," I muttered.

"I'm sure you are, but I need to know how it went with Nik."

"Fine I suppose."

"Fine?"

"Uh huh. We talked and I massaged his back. He'll give me a tour in New Orleans tomorrow."

"That's my girl, I'm proud of you."

I was too tired to care that he was twirling my hair around his finger while he spoke.

"Did he try anything?"

"No, he was very polite."

"Was he now? Good for him."

I blinked my eyes and tried to clear my head, there were things I needed to ask him.

"I…I met your other brother," I muttered. "He wasn't very happy to see me."

"Hmm, don't mind him, he's just…boring."

"He hurt me," I blurted out without thinking.

"What?"

If I wasn't mistaken, Kol sounded surprised.

"I mean… Not badly, but… He didn't like the person I look like, did he?"

"No, not very much I suppose."

I gritted my teeth and reminded myself to control myself.

"It would have been nice to know that beforehand."

"You handled him, didn't you?" he replied. "I knew that you would."

"What about Mr. Niklaus' obsession?" I asked more sharply than I had intended.

Kol's body tensed for a moment before he responded.

"What?"

"I think I deserve to know what I'm dealing with exactly…"

"Is that so?" he asked smoothly and grabbed my chin. "And I think that someone is forgetting her place, would you agree, darling?"

I swallowed.

"I just meant…"

"I have told you everything you need to know and you agreed on my terms, we made a deal. Please feel free to say if you have second thoughts, I'm confident that we can work something else out…"

"No, no, I didn't mean that, I'm just scared…"

Oh dear lord, had I actually said that out loud? I wanted to bite my tongue off. He was quiet for a brief moment before touching my cheek.

"My poor girl," he hummed. "It's alright, I understand. This is all new to you, so it's normal to be scared."

"That came out wrong," I muttered, my face was turning red.

"Such a brave girl," he hummed and leaned closer. My eyes were getting used to the darkness, so I saw his smile. "I know you can do this, darling, I have seen how persistent you are. And I doubt that you find my brother hideous, do you?"

"No," I muttered. "He was very polite."

"There we go. Yes, I admit that he was quite passionate towards…her, but he never hurt her. He won't hurt you either, I promise."

"What about your other brother?"

"As I said, don't mind him, he's not foolish enough to try anything. Nik certainly wouldn't be happy if anyone would try to take you from him."

He paused and gently kissed my cheek. I didn't flinch at all; he had spent a lot of time teaching me how to react to a touch like a normal person. We had started with simple exercises; he had told me to sit next to him and touched my shoulder or held my hand. There hadn't been anything intrusive about his touch, but it had still been very difficult to me. The whole idea of a nice or gentle touch had been completely foreign to me; no one had ever touched me like that. My mother's touch had always been rough; she had shoved me, pulled my hair or even kicked me if I had been in her way. I did remember one time when someone had held me and made me feel safe. I had been maybe 5 or 6 and I had almost been hit by a carriage. I had been bleeding and crying when some strange woman had picked me up and comforted me. It was a nice memory.

"Go back to sleep, darling," he continued. "Good night."

"Good night," I muttered, but he was already gone. I tried to go back to sleep, but it didn't really work out. Finally I did fall asleep, but my dreams were distressing and I didn't feel well rested when someone knocked on the door.

"Yes?" I muttered sleepily. The door opened and a young woman entered the room, she was wearing a maid's uniform.

"Good morning, Miss Topolsky," she said politely. "My name is Iris, Mr. Mikaelson sent me to inquire if you would like to join him for breakfast."

"Yes," I muttered and rubbed my eyes. "Yes, of course. Could you please tell him that I will be right there?"

"Of course, miss."

"Thank you."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath after she had left; I needed a moment to pull myself together. Today Niklaus Mikaelson would give me a tour in the city; it would probably take the whole day. I would be alone with him the whole day. That should be interesting.


	8. Perfect gentleman

**Chapter 8**

 **Perfect gentleman**

"Thank you," I said smiling when Niklaus Mikaelson pulled out a chair for me. His manners were just as flawless as Kol's, which was kind of weird considering what they were. I had got used to very different kind of vampires. The restaurant where he had brought me looked like a very expensive place. It was way past lunchtime already, so it wasn't full, we had a nice table by the window. I had got dressed in a hurry this morning, I had chosen a floral print dress and a white cardigan, my hair was again up in a bun.

According to Kol, I should keep my hair like that until his brother and I would get more acquainted with one another. He had told me that back in the 15th century men hadn't been allowed to see their wives with their hair down before the wedding night; there had been something very erotic about the whole thing. The fact that he was actually that old had startled me more than the story itself.

"So," Niklaus Mikaelson started while sitting opposite me. "What do you think about New Orleans so far?"

"I love it," I answered truthfully. "The French Quarter is beautiful. I only wish I would have chosen different kind of shoes, my feet are killing me."

He smiled.

"We don't have to walk any more today, I can arrange a ride…"

"No, no, I enjoy walking," I cut in. "I'm sure my feet will be as good as new after lunch. How is your back? Is walking usually painful to you?"

"No, not really."

"Perhaps I should still start the treatment today?" I suggested innocently.

He was suddenly very interested in the menu, but I saw a glimpse of something less then innocent in his eyes.

"Yes, perhaps that's a good idea," he replied casually.

A very polite waiter came to take our drink orders. I settled for ice water and looked at my own menu. I swallowed when I saw the prices; a very obvious problem hit me immediately. Kol had taken me to nice restaurants in New York few times when we had practiced table manners and of course he had always paid, I hadn't had any money, but now I wasn't sure what the proper etiquette was. We weren't on a date or anything like that, but unfortunately I didn't have any money with me. I did have some money in my room, Kol had given it to me in case I needed to buy something, but of course I had been too stupid to take it with me.

"Is something wrong?" Niklaus Mikaelson asked after I had stared at the menu for a moment. "We can go somewhere else if you can't find anything you like."

"No, no, I…This is certainly embarrassing…"

He suddenly looked vigilant, his intense gaze made me even more embarrassed.

"What is it?"

A flush was rising in my cheeks; I really hoped that he wouldn't think I had done this on purpose to make him pay my food.

"I feel really foolish, but I just realized that I don't have a purse with me," I managed to say. "I'm more than embarrassed, but would it be possible to ask you a small loan?"

He looked amused; the corners of his mouth were twitching. Hopefully I hadn't ruined everything. This part, the small practical matters, really wasn't familiar to me. No one had certainly ever courted me and despite of all the training, I had to admit that I really didn't know much about normal everyday interaction.

"Miss Topolsky, I invited you to have lunch with me," he said. "Naturally I will pay."

"Oh," I muttered. "That's…very generous of you, sir, thank you."

He smiled.

"Well, there's something I would like to ask in return."

"Yes, of course," I replied automatically, I managed to sound calm enough.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Just like that? You don't even know what I am about to ask."

Alright, focus…

"I trust you, Mr. Mikaelson," I blurted out.

He was clearly surprised.

"You trust me?"

Idiot…

"I mean… I know you're a gentleman so I believe your request will be nothing but reasonable."

Nice safe. Really? No you idiot… I was an idiot? Yes! Well I was doing my best, so shut up. Oh great, he was staring at me and I couldn't interpret the look in his eyes. Sad? No. Mad? No. Curious? Maybe. Why couldn't he say something already?

"Well… I would like to ask you to call me by my first name," he finally said. "If you don't find that too inappropriate."

That certainly hadn't been what I had expected.

"No, not at all," I replied quickly. "You would like me to call you Niklaus?"

"Klaus actually. That's the name I prefer to use."

"Alright, Klaus then."

I kept the smile on my face when he observed me; I would have given almost anything if I would have known what he was thinking. He probably saw me as a naïve and sort of simple little nurse, but hopefully he would find that somewhat cute.

"And may I call you Sadie?"

"Yes, of course," I replied cheerily.

"Thank you, that's…a lovely name. Sadie."

The way he said my name was kind of strange, like he would have tried to get used to it or decide did he like it or not. Fortunately I didn't have to say anything when the waiter returned with our drinks and took our order. I had got used to ordering whatever I wanted with Kol, after I had understood that I could, but now I certainly didn't want to look greedy. Not to mention my eating needed to look ladylike.

"So, I have to ask," he started after the waiter had left. "What kind of men do you usually have lunch with?"

I barely managed to hide my surprise.

"Pardon?"

He smiled.

"I was just wondering what kind of men would make the lady pay for her food after asking her out for lunch."

"Oh. Actually… I don't usually have lunch with men. Or dinner or breakfast."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Surely you must have had plenty of suitors in New York?"

I shook my head.

"Not really."

If I wasn't mistaken, he looked pleased. Kol had said that his brother would love the fact that I was a virgin. Somehow the thought made me feel very cheap. Not that I actually was cheap, I have had a good sense to ask a lot of money for my body. Assuming Kol would keep his word and things wouldn't go wrong. I preferred not to even think about what Klaus would do if he would know the truth.

"I suppose I haven't met the right person," I said.

"Hmm," he muttered, his lips were curving into a somewhat predatory smirk. "I'm sure you will."

* * *

I was exhausted when we finally returned to the mansion, it was an afternoon already. My feet were really killing me; I never wanted to see my damn shoes again. Nevertheless the day had been interesting and more than useful; we had talked about all kinds of things. He had told me about his family, he had a sister I hadn't met yet, she was out of town at the moment. I had told him about my boring life and even though most of the things had been a lie, I hadn't lied about everything.

The fact that I had been alone most of my life hadn't been a lie. For some reason I had even been stupid enough to mention him my dream, to have a safe home. He had said that everyone deserved to feel safe, to have a home. He had been sure that I would get everything I wanted. That had made me feel guilty. He had been a perfect gentleman, charming and considerate; I had actually enjoyed his company. Of course that didn't really make any difference, I would sleep with him either way, but to me that was important.

"Klaus?" a tense male voice said right after we had walked to the courtyard. It was the man I had met when Kol and I had arrived yesterday, Marcellus. "I've been looking for you."

"I told you I would be out the whole day," Klaus replied.

Marcellus seemed even tenser.

"We need to talk, it's urgent."

"Fine," Klaus huffed and turned to look at me. "Would you excuse me, Sadie?"

"Yes, of course. I believe I need to wash up and get changed."

"Absolutely. Perhaps I will see you in my room after you're finished?"

"Sure, I will take the oil with me."

Marcellus looked away and hid his mouth with his hand, clearly he misunderstood me.

"Excuse me," I said politely and headed inside. It felt very good to wash up; I undressed in the bathroom and wore a bathrobe before heading to my room. I was concentrated on thinking about what I should wear for "the treatment", I didn't notice Elijah Mikaelson standing in my room before I had closed the door behind me.

"Mr. Mikaelson!" I gasped.

"Forgive me for startling you," he stated rigidly.

"That's alright," I replied and instinctively wrapped the bathrobe tighter around me. "What…what can I do for you?"

"Well…" he started and took a step towards me. "You can leave."

I swallowed.

"I beg your pardon…"

"I have no time for games, so I will just get to the point." He paused and took another step towards me; I tried desperately to figure out an escape plan. "I want you out of this house and I will pay you more than generously for leaving and never coming back."

My mouth floundered open and closed.

"Mr. Mikaelson… I… Whatever I have done to upset you…"

I didn't have time to finish my sentence when he was in front of me, pushing me against the wall. His pupils were dilating. Oh great… Unfortunately for him, he couldn't compel me; I had vervain in my system. Maybe Kol had suspected something like this when he had told me to make sure that I always had it in my system. I had asked what would happen if Klaus would notice, but he had simply replied that he would say that he had given it to me to make sure that his brother would have some challenge. I had doubted if Klaus would actually believe that, but right now I was nothing but grateful for the vervain.

"Mr. Mikaelson, please…" I muttered.

The look in his eyes was more than strange and I felt that his hands were shaking.

"Are you alrigh…"

His hand took a hold of the back of my head; it took a moment before my mind comprehended what happened next. He was kissing me.


	9. Obsessed

**Chapter 9**

 **Obsessed**

Elijah Mikaelson was kissing me. His arms kept me in place against the wall and his lips were hungrily devouring mine. After I understood that this was really happening, I noticed one thing. He smelled like alcohol. Still I was too stunned to really be scared, but I flinched when his tongue brushed over my lips. It tickled a little. So this was what kissing felt like… Was I insane, I needed to make him stop. Unfortunately that was easier said than done. I tried to unsuccessfully push him away; I doubted that I would have succeeded even if he wouldn't have been a vampire.

He was much bigger than me and he was tightening his embrace even more when I struggled. The kiss was becoming more and more intense; his tongue was trying to make me to open my mouth. What was he doing? I kept trying to free myself, but suddenly my feet didn't touch the floor anymore. My only reaction was a gasp; I couldn't understand what was happening. Then came the nausea, my body was flying across the room like I would have been weightless and no more than a second later my back collided with something soft.

"Ple-please…" I gasped weakly before I understood what was happening. The force of the impact had made me dizzy. I was on the bed. Why? "No, no…"

His lips crashed against mine and his weight was pressing against my body. I couldn't breathe; the shock was ripping through me. The reality was slowly starting to hit me when I tried to move under him. I was completely trapped. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening… I started to struggle as hard as I could, desperately trying to get him off me. It was useless, just like trying to move a stone wall. Why? Please, not like this… I was completely unprepared for something like this. Despite of the panic, I tried to force myself to think. I couldn't fight him off, my only chance was to beg him to stop and pray that he would listen.

"I'll never let you go again…" he muttered, his voice sounded more than weird. I managed to turn my face away before he kissed me again, his lips brushed my neck, but I needed to gasp for air before I managed to get a word out.

"Stop!" I managed to cry out. "Please, sir, please, I'm begging you, don't do this. Please… I-I've never done this, please stop!"

His whole body tensed, slowly he raised his head. The shock and terror in his eyes was most definitely genuine, for a moment we simply looked at each other.

"I…" he muttered. "I don't… I didn't mean…"

"It's alright," I said, trying to force a smile on my face.

He seemed to be too shocked to continue, he looked like he would have just woken up after having some horrible nightmare.

"Sir?" I said cautiously after a moment of silence. "Could you be so kind and get off me?"

"What, yes, of course…"

He was on his feet in a fraction of a second; I needed a moment before I managed to get into a sitting position. Fortunately the bathrobe was still covering the most of my body.

"Are you…hurt?" he muttered, he wasn't looking at me.

"No, I'm fine," I replied, for some incomprehensible reason I sounded almost perky. Oh great, nurse Sadie to the rescue…

We were both quiet for a while; I really didn't know what to say. Finally he spoke, he sounded distressed to say the least.

"I… I know there really isn't anything I can say to… I can't tell you how sorry I am. I'm not that kind of person, I'm not…"

"It's alright, I believe you."

He clenched his fists and turned away.

"I'm sorry."

I didn't move when he stormed out, I was like paralyzed. My mind was blank; the next thing I realized was that someone was calling my name.

"Miss Topolsky? Miss Topolsky?"

I blinked few times before I realized that someone was standing next to me. The maid, Iris, if I remembered correctly.

"Are you alright, miss?" she asked, she sounded concerned.

I cleared my throat before I was able to answer.

"Yes…yes, I'm fine. What can I do for you?"

She looked a little confused.

"Mr. Mikaelson sent me; he was wondering if there have been a change of plans. He has been waiting for you for a while now."

For a moment I had no idea what she was talking about. Oh no… Klaus.

"Yes…" I muttered and stood up as quickly as I could. "Yes, I… Could you please tell him how terribly sorry I am, I just… I'll be right there."

"Sure, miss," the maid replied, she was looking at me kind of strangely. Not that I could blame her. Clothes… I needed to get dressed. Determinedly I opened the closet and picked up a white dress. I needed a cardigan too. Yes, definitely. My hair… The bun didn't look good at all. It didn't really matter; I didn't have any time to waste. Just a little lipstick and I was ready to go. For some reason my heart was pounding when I headed to Klaus' room. What the hell was wrong with me?

Nothing had actually happened; I had no reason to act like some pathetic crybaby. Really, I had been through so much worse. Besides, the same thing could have happened with Klaus. It still could happen. That was what I was here for. Apparently Klaus wasn't the only one who had been obsessed with the woman I looked like… Did Kol know? I wanted to believe that he didn't, surely he wouldn't have… Why not? I meant nothing to him, I was just some…whore. Yes, what more was I. Completely meaningless. I forced the smile on my face before knocking on Klaus' door.

"Yes?" his voice said from inside.

"I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting," I said as soon as I opened the door. I swallowed when I saw the nice dinner set on the table and few candles burning.

"That's alright," he replied smiling, he was standing in front of the easel. "Please, come in."

I obeyed, but I left the door open.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

No, I wasn't. Still I said yes and sat at the table obediently when he pulled out a chair for me. It would have been rude not to touch the food when he had obviously arranged it especially for me. We chatted while I ate, although my eating was very mechanic, I didn't register any taste. I asked what he was painting, but he simply replied that it wasn't finished yet. He smiled and stared at me across the table. Just like a predator stalking its prey. That was really all I saw when I looked at him now, all the comfort I had felt earlier today was gone. I was worthless. Stop that. Why, it was the truth. Who I was and what I wanted didn't mean anything to anyone. I didn't want this. Well, boohoo, just cry a little. Pathetic crybaby.

"Sadie?"

"Hmm?"

"Is everything alright?"

"Sure, I'm just…a little tired."

He nodded and stood up.

"Yes, we have had a long day."

My legs were shaking a little when I stood up, I didn't move when he walked over to me.

"You have a little something right there…"

I flinched when he touched my cheek with his thumb.

"Good night, Mr. Mikaelson," I muttered and almost ran to the door.

"Wait…" he was saying, but I didn't stop. I ran towards my room and literally bumped into Kol.

"Hey…" he started.

"Stay away from me," I snapped and continued running, ignoring his stunned look. As soon as I was in my room, I pulled the dresser in front of the door. I was aware that it wouldn't stop anyone from coming in, but it still made me feel a little safer. Slowly I walked over to the bed and curled up under the covers. I had never felt so exhausted.


	10. The surrogate

**Sorry about the hiatus, I had to do some rewriting. Thank you for the reviews, favs and alerts.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

 **The surrogate**

It was an early morning when I slowly opened my eyes. The dresser was still in front of the door; thankfully no one had tried to get inside. I didn't get up; I simply rolled on my back and stared at the ceiling. For some reason I felt very calm now. Maybe what had happened yesterday had caught me off guard, but really, what had I expected? To be treated like some kind of princess? Oh please. To Kol I was a slave, to his brothers a copy of someone else. That was the reason why I was here, because I looked like someone else.

I was nothing more than a toy Kol had brought to his brother to play with. Or maybe both of his brothers. I found it hard to believe that Kol wouldn't have known about Elijah's feelings towards the woman I looked like. Apparently they had been lovers, I didn't know or care. Kol certainly didn't care either. It didn't matter, what choice I had but to go through with this. At least I knew now what to expect. Maybe Klaus had been polite so far, but that didn't mean anything, it was all just a boring formality before taking what he wanted. It made no difference what we would talk about or what I would tell him about myself; it would never be me he wanted.

Just like Elijah, Klaus would see that other woman and think about her when he would take my body. I was nothing more than a toy. And exactly which part of that hadn't I already known? Idiot… Feeling sorry for myself would certainly help me a lot, just like it always had. Was it really so wrong to hope for…what? What had I possibly hoped in a situation like this? Kindness? Respect? Right, sure. Those things weren't for a slave or a whore. Klaus had been polite and that was more than I had the right to ask.

And Elijah… Maybe he wouldn't stop the next time. Maybe that was what Kol had wanted all along; give me to both of his brothers to get his damn distraction. It didn't matter. I would do this, take my money and buy myself a new life. After all I had already been through, I could do this. One man, two men, was there really a difference. Neither of them would see me as nothing but some kind of surrogate. I had never asked Kol anything about the woman I looked like and I wasn't going to ask. Why would I.

Slowly I got up and walked over to the door. It was time to clean myself up and get a grip. I pulled the dresser back to its original place and marched towards the bathroom. My reflection didn't look very nice; I was as pale as a ghost. Carefully I washed my face and brushed my hair. Now I just needed a smile. Fortunately it came easily and looked genuine enough. I went back to my room and changed my clothes before heading to the kitchen, I was hoping for a cup of tea.

"Sadie!" Klaus' voice called before I reached the kitchen.

I stopped and turned to look at him, he was marching towards me.

"Good morning," I said smiling.

He hesitated for a brief moment before replying.

"Good morning. I… Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, very well, thank you for asking. And you?"

"Yes, I did." He paused and hesitated again. "Listen, about last night… I apologize if I offended you, it wasn't my intention…"

"No, no," I cut in. "I'm the one who needs to apologize. I can assure you that I'm not usually so ill-mannered; I was… very tired and a little emotional last night. A new city, a new job, a new home, a long day… I hope you can forgive me for acting so rudely, I can assure you that it won't happen again."

He observed me for a brief moment before his lips curved into a smile.

"There's no need for you to apologize, I completely understand."

I smiled too.

"Thank you, Mr. Mikaelson…Klaus."

"Perhaps you would like to join me for breakfast?"

"I would love to," I replied.

Everything was like it was supposed to be again, I followed him to the dining room and he pulled out a chair for me.

"What are your plans for today?" I asked when he sat down opposite me.

"I don't really have any plans," he replied.

"In that case, perhaps you would like to start your treatment?"

"Yes, sounds good."

I kept the smile on my face and chatted with him while the maid served the breakfast. The whole thing was going well until Kol entered the dining room. I glanced at him coolly, but managed to keep the smile on my face.

"Good morning, Mr. Kol."

"Good morning," he replied and casually sat down next to Klaus. "How are you, Miss Topolsky?"

"I'm good, thank you for asking. I was just telling your brother that we should start his treatment today."

His expression didn't change; he motioned the maid to pour him some coffee.

"Hmm, how nice."

"Out all night, brother?" Klaus stated.

"Yes," Kol replied simply.

"Where were you?"

Kol smiled.

"As you said, out."

Klaus smiled too and took a sip out of his cup.

"By yourself?"

"No, 'father', I had some company."

"Anyone I know?"

"I doubt that," Kol replied.

"Hmm, I suppose you are right. Your conquests are usually quite… how should I put this, cheap."

Kol didn't comment on that, he seemed to be concentrated on his coffee.

"There's a lady present, Nik," he stated coolly.

It seemed that Klaus had forgotten me for a moment.

"My apologies, Sadie," he said quickly.

"That's alright, Klaus," I replied smiling. "I have heard worse things."

Klaus glanced at Kol.

"Not from my brother, I hope?"

"No, no, your brother was a perfect gentleman when we traveled together."

Kol grinned.

"There you have it, Nik. And for the record, I'm always a gentleman."

Klaus snorted and emptied his cup. I tried to concentrate on my own breakfast, but then I noticed Elijah standing in the doorway, he seemed uncomfortable to say the least. His brothers hadn't noticed him yet and he didn't pay any attention to them, he was looking at me.

" _I'll never let you go again…"_

I shivered, but my lips curved once again into the stupid smile.

"Good morning, Mr. Elijah," I said perkily.

He looked confused for a moment before he managed to clear his throat and reply.

"Good morning."

Kol didn't pay much attention to him, but Klaus greeted him briefly. Slowly he made his way to the table and sat down on Klaus' other side. All three of them were opposite me now. Elijah kept his eyes on me, clearly wanting to ask the obvious question. Why hadn't I told anyone what had happened. Klaus was smiling at me; his eyes were observing me intently. Kol was looking at me as well; I couldn't really tell what he was thinking. Not that I even cared.


End file.
